The so-called “Gateway to the Amazon” really does live up to its moniker. Just on the doorstep is the smoking volcanic dome of Tungurahua, which often sits shrouded in plumes of mist. To the back are the rising Andes, while to the front roll out the verdant plains of the mysterious Llanganates National Park, a place of long-lost Incan treasures and rare cloud forests. It should hardly come as a surprise that many a Baños de Agua Santa tour guide offer outdoorsy exploration. That's what this town is naturally primed for, with trailheads beckoning intrepid folk to the snow-dashed slopes of Tungurahua itself – the paths there are challenging and breathtaking in equal measure. Then there are the adrenaline-pumping bike routes that shoot past gushing waterfalls and canyons on the way to Rio Verde, not to mention the babbling whitewater rapids of the Pastaza River. When the time comes to unwind and relax, Baños de Agua Santa rolls over to reveal sweet melcocha candy shops and bubbling hot baths. The latter is a famous feature of the volcanic Tungurahua Province and sit under a series of gorgeous cataracts close to the start of the jungle.